ESHA technical solutions on the new Patras–Pyrgos section of Olympia Odos

As with most major infrastructure projects carried out in Greece over the past decades, Esha’s materials and technical solutions were also implemented in the new Olympia Odos project, on the new Patras–Pyrgos motorway section.

The first 65 kilometers (Kaminia – Pyrgos) of the new Patras–Pyrgos motorway have been opened to traffic.

With the completion of this project, Olympia Odos now connects Patras with Pyrgos in just 45 minutes, and Athens with Pyrgos in 2 hours and 45 minutes — safely and comfortably — directly linking three regions: Western Attica, the Peloponnese, and Western Greece. It also has a direct impact on two additional regions — Epirus and the Ionian Islands — while ensuring the connection between Athens and Greece’s most important gateway to Europe: the Port of Patras, as well as the ports of Kyllini and Katakolo, and the Araxos Airport.

As with most major infrastructure projects carried out in Greece over the past decades, Esha’s materials and technical solutions were also implemented in this project.

Specifically:

For the pavement of the new motorway, elastomer-modified road bitumen ESHAPRENE 25/55-75 was used.

ESHAPRENE 25/55-75 is a high-performance product used in asphalt pavements where extreme temperature fluctuations and heavy traffic loads are expected. It offers several advantages, such as:

• High fatigue resistance of the pavement due to high speeds and traffic loads, thus reducing the need for frequent repair interventions or even full reconstruction that would be necessary with a conventional asphalt mix.
• Strong adhesion between asphalt and aggregates, reducing detachment.
• Enhanced resistance to permanent deformation caused by high temperatures.
• Improved crack resistance at low temperatures.
• High durability under heavy traffic loads and rutting.
• Slower aging of the asphalt due to temperature variations.

For the waterproofing of the deck of the Pineios River bridge in Ilia, the Esha-Izoton waterproofing method offered by Esha in the Greek market was selected. This is a technical solution used for waterproofing concrete bridge decks prior to asphalt paving, by creating an in-situ cast waterproofing membrane using hot-applied modified bituminous mastic. The Esha-Izoton method offers several advantages, including the following:

• Direct application of the asphalt layer onto the waterproofing membrane.
• Application and excellent adhesion to various types of concrete surfaces.
• Consistent bonding even to rough or uneven concrete surfaces.
• Fast application process – waterproofing of bridge decks up to 5,000 m² in a single working day!
• Independent movement between the asphalt layer and the bridge deck, while maintaining a very stable bond between them.
• Proven long-lasting performance over decades.

Learn more here: ESHAPRENE 25/55-75
Learn more here:  ESHA–IZOTON
Learn more here:  OLYMPIA ODOS